Best travel book of the year !! ;-)

Back in the autumn of 08, a certain young man of the house went a travelling...he went on his own....and thus a certain mum adopted a new name...'The sobbing woman of the house.'

In truth , she hardly sobbed but behaved just like any other mum would behave.

When you love someone and they go away on their travels,they are always in your thoughts.

But all was fine,the 6 weeks flew by and now I am able to re-live it all again!

He's written a book!! And what a book it is.

And so , come journey with me across the sea... and back to the autumn of 08.

(The text is a mix of his texts to me and quotes from his book.)

'Holland is flat!!

My day was good.Amsterdam is beautiful..I'd buy you some tulips if I was not away for so long''

'Tonight I have a date with Marco Van Basten...well I tell a lie. Van Basten is definitely here..but I can't see him very well and he certainly hasn't noticed me.



'I suppose that's Berlin for you:fast,noisy and as uncompromising as any other capital city in the world. And for some reason,some crazy,nonsensical reason- I love every minute of it.'



' I step back at various points to examine the art work and graffiti...Buerlinica..a brilliant take on the world's most famous anti war work of art.



'Hello,I've reached my hotel in Munich.
The journey was lovely...everywhere is autumnal..hills decked in beautiful reds,oranges and yellows of autumn.'


'I was immediately struck by the quiet, relaxed atmosphere of the city ...'

' Hello.I've had an amazing day seeing the Roman remains.

I'm off to see the Pope tomorrow!'

'I finally got to Ostia!'

'It never ceases to amaze me how cultural and sophisticated people were, two thousand years ago.. and it inspires me every time I come across a piece of Roman heritage,that it was made so long ago,yet still exists.''

Hello..I've reached my next hotel and it has BBC news!! Time to catch up with what's been happening..have Tottenham sacked their manager yet?'

'I went to Milan Cathedral today..it's very big and impressive.'

'Today I went to the Old Town and the harbour,it was very pretty and atmospheric'
'I like the city and its relaxed way of doing things.'

This is a place that I have wanted to visit for a while, so perfectly was it portrayed in F Scott Fitzgerald's, 'Tender is the Night' .

'I visited the Marc Chagall museum today'

'It intrigues me that Chagall frequently used animals in his work.'

'Hello..I had a long walk to my hotel because..I couldn't find it!!'

'Hello.Montpelier is lovely. I bought a French stick for my tea..although I guess they just call it a stick,here.'

'I peer tentatively through the curtains of my room and crane my neck upwards until I can see,high above the courtyard walls,the first blue sky since I arrived in Barcelona.

The news from Devon is of terrible weather.'

Where else could the medieval splendour of the cathedral sit so at ease with gingerbread houses and quirky sculptures,than Barcelona?'

' Hello..I've just watched the Grand Prix..in Spanish!

'I've been to both football grounds..The Bernabeau is huge!! '

'The Museu de America..I am able to identify the names of the many cultures displayed.'

'I'm waiting in the ferry terminal.Just checked in.All of the English are turning up,loaded with wine and tobacco'

'I never thought I'd be so glad to see Plymouth!!' ;-)

' Mine is not a unique trip but Europe is a unique continent looking to the future,whilst justifiably proud of its past.

I will be forever grateful that I was afforded the opportunity to experience some of it.

I will never forget the autumn of 2008.'

(Lost? He didn't tell me that bit!!)

http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/558051